Notes from a Murderer
by AGirlAndHerPen
Summary: A murderer in Miami has been targeting students at Marino High School. The only relationship between the murders? Each student began receiving strange messages a week before their death. But what would you do if the next note was yours? Rated T for some gory scenes and murder.
1. Prologue

**New story! Okay, so I think that this is going to end up being more of a horror/scary story than a dramatic one like my other story. Go check it out if you haven't read it! Anyways, I want to do a contest sort of thing for a character. I need:**

**Gender:**

**Age: **

**Appearance (hair/eye color, height):**

**Personality:**

**Other important details:**

**So if you guys could enter that, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks guys! **

**On with the story…**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Austin and Ally, or it would probably not be on Disney channel The only thing that belongs to me is the plot.**

** SAMANTHA'S POV**

I was out running, like I am every morning. Something about fall is just soothing to me. Maybe it's the fresh, crisp air, or the beautiful colors of falling leaves at the park where I'm running. The clear sky is beautiful, and even though it's early, there are soft streaks of pink and orange, and the sun has started rising. I paused to take it all in. Just then, my phone vibrated. I pulled it out. _1 new message_, the screen read. I clicked view. _Hello Samantha._ I had no idea who sent it, but it must just be a coincidence.

When I got home, I saw something taped to my front door. A note. I opened it.

_I'm sure you have questions for me. And you'd probably love to know who I am. But that's not important. What's important is that I know who you are._

The note was unsigned. I was trembling when I finished reading it. This has to be a stupid prank pulled by a kid at school. It had to be. I walked into the house and showered off. I thought the notes had stopped! I'd been getting them for a week today. All of them were creepy, short, scary, and anonymous. But I didn't tell anyone. The notes are just an annoying practical joke, right?

I finished getting ready for school. Grabbing my backpack, I headed out the door and walked over. I showed up early, even earlier than Ally Dawson, who's always there at least half an hour before school started. With 45 minutes left before class started, I decided I'd go to my locker to get supplies to work on a project for my art teacher. When the door opened, a scrap of paper fell out. _Not another note,_ I thought. Sighing, I unfolded the note.

_I know lots about you Samantha. I know you prefer to be called Sam. I know that you're an only child. I know you'll turn 17 in a week. _Well at least it was super-secret information. I was about to discard it when I saw the writing on the back. _And I know when you'll die. Now._ I dropped the note and whirled around. A figure dressed in black was standing there. Before I could even scream, they pulled out a knife.

**ALLY'S POV**

I walked into the school, early as usual. Everything was quiet, calm, and peaceful. That was the way I liked it. I decided to go to my locker, then head to homeroom. I had a song idea for Austin, and I wanted to get it written down. I got close to my locker, and saw something, no, some_one_ on the floor. Heart in my throat, I walked closer. It was Sam. Her golden, curly hair spread across the floor, her green eyes glassy, her freckled face pale. And her throat slit, with a knife in her chest. I screamed. We didn't know each other well, but we had a few classes together and had worked on projects together. She had recently transferred to our school. And now she was laying in front of our lockers. Dead.

** So, how was it? I think it turned out pretty good for my first attempt at a story like this. Review, tell me what you think.**

** Also, I know this was kind of short, but it's kind of like a prologue to the story than an actual chapter. The next one will be longer!**

**-Morgan**


	2. Chapter 1

** Chapter one is here! I really like where this story is going in my head...but you all don't want to hear me ramble on. So on with the story!**

**Ashley: I'd love to add you into the story! The next chapter maybe?**

**ILUV ZAMMIE andDanTrixie: Here's your update!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally, if I did then things like this would happen and it wouldn't be on Disney Channel.**

**AUSTIN'S POV (3 weeks later)**

When Ally wasn't in homeroom, I was worried. There's a killer on the loose, and I don't want my best friend (and crush) to become their next target. As if I summoned her, Ally walked in and handed the teacher a late pass. When she sat down next to me, I decided to find out why she was late.

"Where were you earlier?" I asked.

"There was a police officer. He wanted to hear everything I remembered about…Sam," she choked out.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Hey, you're fine. Don't worry about anything," I tell her.

Her face turns stormy. "Don't worry? I saw a murder scene, and the victim was my friend! Three more kids have died, the police always need to hear from me, and I got a-" she stops suddenly.

"Ally, what did you get?" I ask, trying to be as intense as I can.

"N-nothing," she replies.

"Ally, you're lying," I say to her.

She sighs. "Okay, so I got a-" the bell rings. "Meet me at Sonic Boom after school," Ally says.

"Fine," I reply.

Ally avoids me the rest of the day, probably trying to keep me from interrogating her. But I'll find out soon enough…I hope. She's my best friend, I'm worried about her. Finally, school ends and I manage to catch up to her.

"Ally, what's wrong? You haven't been acting normal all day. Please, just tell me," I practically beg her.

"Wait until we get to Sonic Boom," She tells me.

"Ally, I'm worried about you. You haven't been acting normal," I say to her.

"Whaaaaat? I'm acting completely normal," she replies. She's lying. She always stretches out the word "what" when she lies. Like she just did.

"Ally, you're lying. Will you please just tell me what's wrong?"

"No Austin. Please, can you just wait?"

"Fine," I sigh. I'm not happy, and she knows it.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just can't talk about it," she says. "But I can show you."

**ALLY'S POV**

I hate keeping secrets from Austin. But right now, there isn't a lot of choice. I know I can't outright talk about it, so showing him is the best option. I just hope he'll handle it well. Because if he was in my position, and I was in his, I couldn't handle it. I can hardly handle it when I'm the one with the problem. But if it was Austin…somehow that would be worse. I was already scared. No, really scared. Because I had received a note. From the murderer, or as he/she called themselves, the Shadow. That was the name found at every crime scene. The only thing that the murders have had in common. Except for the fact that every person was killed in some horrible, gruesome way. Each one was different. Sam had it the best, her death was the fastest according to autopsy reports. One person was hanged, and had "SHADOW" carved deeply into both arms and legs. Another was found with deep gashes on their back and "SHADOW" written across their t-shirt…in their own blood. The third person was hardly recognizable, with "SHADOW" carved repeatedly across their body. Each time, the murder was more and more torturous **(1)**. I'm next, if the notes are accurate. And they are. Every person dies a week after receiving their first note. So by Thursday of next week, I'm dead. Murdered. Most likely in an awful, unspeakable way. Because high school isn't hard enough without death notes from a blood thirsty killer. When we got to Sonic Boom, Austin grabbed my arm.

"Now will you tell me?" he pleads.

Despite the circumstance, I have to laugh. "Austin, we aren't even in the store yet. Let's go up to the practice room where we can talk privately," I tell him.

Austin pouts for a second, then takes off, sprinting through the store, dashing upstairs to the practice room. I walk up in a more civilized fashion, and the moment I walk through the door, Austin asks "So now will you tell me?"

I close and lock the door. The entire store doesn't need to hear this. Taking a deep breath, I prepare to start telling the story…but instead I burst into tears. Austin doesn't try to force it out of me, for now at least, instead he comes up and wraps his arms around my waist. I put my arms around his neck and cry into his shirt.

**AUSTIN'S POV**

I hate when Ally is sad. I don't know what's wrong, but it must be a pretty big deal. Ally seems really small and vulnerable, but she's mentally strong. Something has her shaken up. Really shaken up.

"Hey, Ally, you're okay," I say, rubbing her back to try and soothe her. She mumbles something in response. "What?" I asked her.

"No I'm not," Ally replies. "I may be a lot of things, but after this morning, I am anything but okay." Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, and her face is damp.

"Ally, I don't understand. What do you mean? Why aren't you okay?"

She sighs. "I really didn't want to tell you this. I know you're going to freak out," she solemnly tells me.

"Ally, Austin Moon doesn't freak out," I say to her.

"Yes you do," she says with a small smile.

"Okay, so I _sometimes_ freak out," I admit.

"Austin…I…well…" Ally couldn't get the words out. Not in a way that made sense to me at least. She sighed and stood up. "I'll show you."

Ally came back with a piece of notebook paper and handed it to me. Her hands were trembling. Actually, her entire body was shaking like a leaf.

I suddenly had a bad feeling. The murders…all the victims had received notes.

"Ally, this isn't one of those…death notes…is it?" I asked. She nodded slightly.

"Just read it," she tells me. I unfold the paper. My hands are shaking just like Ally's were earlier.

_ Hello Allyson. I hear you saw my first crime scene. Lovely, wasn't it? But here's the thing: You know too much. And that knowledge isn't good for me. Your days are numbered now. Tick-tock._

I looked up at Ally. "Why wouldn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I didn't want the whole school to know. And I was, well, I still am, afraid that you won't want to be my friend to save your own skin," she confessed.

"Ally, listen to me. If anything, this note is going to make me stay as close to you as possible. I don't want you getting hurt," I told her. "I won't let anything hurt you, I promise."

"Austin, you can't keep that promise. I'm might as well already be dead. There's nothing anyone can do-" I cut her off by kissing her. She seemed surprised, but kissed back after a moment. When we broke apart, I looked directly into her eyes.

"I promise," I say, just loud enough that she can hear me, "that nothing is going to hurt you."

** I added an Auslly moment at the end! I decided to keep some romance in it, to make it more interesting. And because seriously, that was the best ending I could imagine for this chapter. Thanks for the reviews from last chapter, read and review! Still looking for characters (not to play the murderer or a victim. I'm not THAT cruel) so keep submitting characters! I'll use as many as I can. I need:**

**Name:**

**Age: **

**Personality:**

**Appearance:**

**Other important details:**

**1) Sorry if this seemed really dark and disturbing to anybody. My writing can sometimes come across like that to people...**

**Review please!**

**-Morgan**


	3. Chapter 2

** I'm sorry about not updating earlier, but we had guests from out of town and I didn't have access to my computer. Also (IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!) I will be out of town for a few days without computer access and I won't be able to upload. But I'll keep writing while I'm there, so expect an update as soon as I get back. The character contest is still going! So keep entering them!**

** Ashley: I wrote about your character in this chapter! And of course he will!**

**ALLY'S POV**

Oh. My. Gosh. Austin Moon just kissed me. And I kissed him back! I'm kind of freaking out right now. I grabbed my phone and texted Ashley and Trish.

_Ally: Italics _Ashley: Underlined** Trish: Bold**

_We need to talk. Meet me at the food court in 10?_

Sounds good to me. What's up?

_It's easier to explain in person._

Ok, I'll see you there!

**Let me go get fired and I'll be right there.**

I had to laugh at Trish's response. I grabbed my purse and phone, then headed out the door to walk to the food court.

Ashley was already waiting. She came to our school recently, but she's really a great friend. She's in the drama club and loves to preform, unlike me. She's also a cheerleader, but not the snobby type people tend to imagine. She's friendly, nice, caring, sweet, charming, witty, and funny. Basically, she's a great friend. The two of us ordered drinks while we waited for Trish.

Trish showed up and got right to the point. "Okay. Something happened. Spill it," she ordered. Ashley and I laughed at her attitude. I showed them the note I found in my locker today, which caused them to both look concerned. But then I got to the Austin part of the story.

"Anyways, Austin wouldn't stop asking me what was wrong, and he didn't fall for any of my lies. So we were talking about it and he was completely freaked out. But he kept promising nothing would hurt me. I didn't want him to feel guilty if..." I paused, choosing my words carefully "If something happens, so I told him that it wasn't really in his control. And then…he kissed me." I stopped letting that sink in. They both have known about my crush on Austin forever, so of course they were happy.

Trish began asking question after question about the kiss, so fast I didn't have time to process, much less answer any of them. "Was he a good kisser? How long was the kiss? Were there sparks?" and so on, until I just tuned her out.

Ashley's hands flew to her mouth. "This is amazing Ally! This means he likes you too! Trish and I were so right about Auslly…" she trailed off, grinning happily.

"Wait a second. What's Auslly?"

"Just something Trish and I came up with," Ashley said. "Oh, and I guess Dez kind of helped, with his Team Ally shirt."

"Team Ally? What is this, Twilight?" I sad jokingly. The three of us started laughing again. Really hard. Ignoring all of the weird looks we received, we kept laughing. Yes, I was getting notes from a murderer and my crush kissed me. But we couldn't be serious.

**ASHLEY'S POV**

The three of us decided we'd walk back to Sonic Boom, since we'd been "asked," even though it was more of an order, to leave the food court. Apparently three high school girls laughing hysterically is a disturbance to other customers. But it had distracted us from a pressing problem. The note.

"Ally, what are you going to do about the note?" I asked.

She sighed. "Honestly, I have no idea. I'll probably talk to my dad about it. I want to talk to the police, but I'm worried about what the result of that would be if they don't catch the person…" she trailed off. I hate this. I hate the person doing this to my school, and now to my best friend. And coming from me, hate is a really strong word. It's hard to make me hate anything, since I'm usually pretty laid back. But I hate the sender of the notes more than anything.

"Ally, you need to tell someone other than us and Austin. Or one of us could talk to the police, then if you're being watched, the sender wouldn't know. Or-"

"Ashley, that's a good idea. But can we give it a little while? Just to talk to my dad…" Ally trailed off.

"Of course Ally," I told her.

"You need a distraction," Trish said. "You're too worried! I just got a job at that salon down the road, let's go use my employee discount before I get fired!"

The three of us started laughing again, walking towards the salon together.

_How could I ever live without my best friends?_ I thought. Although scarily enough, I may be forced to live without one of them…

**Dramatic ending! Anyways, this really is more of a filler chapter, I just needed something to lead up to what's about to happen…enjoy guys! I'll update as soon as I get back home! Read and review!**

**-Morgan**


	4. Chapter 3

** I'm back! Anyways, I got to come back from vacation to a lot more reviews, follows, and favorites, so thank you all so much! I love you guys! Anyways, a few reviews to respond to:**

**Ashley: So how would you feel about having a sister in this story? There was a character idea that was really good, but I wanted to see how you felt about that.**

**Singergirl101: I normally would say no spoilers, but I promise you she isn't (the story will make more sense this way)**

**AusllyLover3000: Thanks for the character! And here's your update :)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Austin and Ally, just this story idea**

**AUSTIN'S POV**

I couldn't get Ally off my mind. The kiss…I swear I felt sparks. No, more than that. Fireworks. As my mind seemed to say. _**No, don't, she's probably mad,**_ the other side said. _Shut up._ I dialed Ally's number and pressed call. One ring…two rings…three rings…

"Hello?"

**ALLY'S POV**

I was sitting in my bedroom, somewhat freaked out. The Shadow could be watching me right now…Ally, stop. Don't think like that. I needed a distraction. Just then, my phone rang. _Austin_, the caller ID read. The kiss…do I want to talk to him? Do I want to talk about what happened? Yes. I want to. And I want Austin to know that I honestly felt sparks. Really strong sparks. More like fireworks than anything. I clicked answer.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Ally, can we talk? Like face to face? At the park maybe? It's important," Austin says.

"Yeah, meet me at the pond in ten," I tell him.

"Okay I'll be there," he says, relief apparent in his voice. The line disconnects. A few minutes later, my phone lights up with a text. _Unknown Number, _the screen reads. Hesitantly, I open messaging on my phone and view the message.

_The park, huh? Enjoy the time you have with Austin while it lasts. Our time together didn't. And Ally, darling, I'm always watching. _

I might've stopped breathing when I read that. And what does "Our time together didn't" mean? It seems like this person must've been an ex-boyfriend of mine or something. I need to tell someone. But for now, I'll focus on my date, no, my friendly meeting, with Austin at the park. That's all it is. Just a friendly meeting. But I should probably try to look nice. I change out of my tank top and yoga pants that I'd been wearing and put on a purple off-the-shoulder top with white jeans. I decide on silvery flats, which look nice with the outfit, but will make me appear ridiculously short next to Austin. Oh well.

**AUSTIN'S POV**

I got to the park kind of early so I could surprise Ally by not being late for once. Also, I needed to call my cousin, Violet.

"Hey Violet, it's Austin,"

"Austin! I haven't seen you in forever! What's up?"

"Yeah, I kind of have a really big problem. How do you feel about going undercover at my school?"

"Umm…why?"

I gave her a quick explanation of Ally's situation. There was silence on the other end.

"Austin, I was already given that case. I was going to be starting undercover on Monday," she says. "The Shadow is the main target of the police force right now. I would know. It's pretty much the only thing Mom has on her mind. She can't focus on anything. This morning, she was so distracted by the case she tried putting spaghetti sauce on my cereal. I told her I'd take care of cooking and stuff while she's distracted after that," Violet told me, obviously trying not to laugh.

"Vi, we all know you can't cook. How are you going to make dinner tonight?"

"I have the pizza delivery man on speed dial."

"That explains it all. Anyways, I have to go, I told Ally I'd meet her at the park."

"Okay, bye! I'll see if I can pull some strings to start undercover earlier."

"Thanks Vi, you're the best cousin ever!"

"Austin, I'm your only cousin."

"Right…Bye!" I said, then hung up. I saw Ally walking over to me.

"Hey Ally!" I yelled.

"Hi Austin," she said. Something was bothering her.

"Ally, what's wrong?"

"Austin, I don't want to talk about it. Maybe in a little bit…" She trailed off.

"Is it me? Or the…you know…"

"The kiss?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Austin, you know me better than anyone. Do you really think that's the problem?"

"I didn't know if you hated me for it," I confessed. "I thought you'd be mad that I messed up our friendship."

"Austin, I'm not mad."

"So you won't hate me when I say that I really want to kiss you again?" Why did I just say that? I'm so stupid!

Ally laughed. "Would you hate me if I told you I want to kiss you again too?"

Wait, what? Ally. Wants. To. Kiss. Me. Again. Is this real? I guess I'll find out. I leaned in, and she did too. And our second kiss was just as good as our first.

**THE SHADOW'S POV (bet you didn't see that coming, huh?)**

Ally leaned in to kiss that blonde idiot, and now she was kissing him back, her small hands wrapped in his hair. How could she do this? Her heart isn't broken after we ended? Unless she gets back together with me, I will kill her. She doesn't deserve to live after our break up. Because if I can't have her, no one can.

**So what did you think? Should I use the Shadow's POV every now and then? Review and tell me. And more character ideas are welcome! Thanks again for the follows, reviews, and favorites! The more reviews, the sooner the update!**

**-Morgan**

**Also…if I stink at writing scenes with kisses and such, I'm only 13. I have never kissed a guy, so I can't really describe any of it. Honestly, most of the detail I'm able to add comes from what I've read in other stories, books, or fanfictions. So don't hate me for that.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys I'm sorry about not updating for a little while, but my family has put me through a lot of crap lately and I just needed a break. My dad just walked into my room and said (word for word) "Hey boring antisocial teenager, what do you want for dinner?" -_- Just kill me now please. Anyways, I wasn't going to update because I thought I might just kill all the characters off. My mood is that bad. But I won't do it, don't worry. Anyways, enough about my crappy life.**

**Also, can I just say thank you all so much! My story broke 1,000 views today! I think both of them did, actually, which was even better!**

**Ashley: Haha thanks so much! And you're welcome :) This is my favorite story to update, I love getting reviews like yours**

**Actress Anna: Okay I'll just go fangirl now…YOU READ AND REVIEWED MY STORY YOU ARE AN AMAZING WRITER! I just had to say that. And no, your story is perfect (If you haven't read her story, it's called Save Me. Check it out, it's amazing) And here's an update for you :)**

**AusllyxLover: Here's chapter 5 for you! And thanks for your input, I like writing that POV too, so…Also, I'm using your character :) hope you like how I do!**

**Melanie: If I told you that, then there'd be no point to updating anymore, would there be? And I decided I'd keep writing in that POV, thanks for complementing it :)**

**I love you all for reviewing XOXO anyways onto the story**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Austin and Ally *cries***

**ASHLEY'S POV**

My older sister, Lily, started acting weird last night. It was actually kind of scary. Our parents tend to be busy, so ever since we were little, we've been super close. The entire time at dinner, she was really nervous. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she screamed.

"Lily, are you okay? You're kind of scaring me a little bit," I told her. It came across as blunt and harsh, but I needed to know.

"I'm fine Ashley. Just go call one of your little friends to come over," she snapped at me. Well that seemed uncalled for. Lily seemed to realize that too. "I'm sorry Ashley," Lily said. "I'm just really stressed out."

"About what?" I asked

"Umm…school! Yeah, just a lot of school work," Lily said. I knew she was lying, but I'd rather avoid the drama.

"Oh, okay. So can Ally come over?" I only asked about Ally, because while Trish is still my best friend, she can be a lot more intimidating. Whatever was freaking my sister out, a fiery, slightly violent Latina girl probably wouldn't help much. Ally on the other hand, was quiet, and a calming presence. Which Lily seemed to need right now.

**LILY'S POV**

_Ally? Oh no no no…this is not good. What if they tell me to…_ I snap out of my trance and see Ashley staring at me expectantly, her eyes wide and lip pouted. Her notorious puppy dog face that could melt anyone's heart. I sighed. "Sure, why not?"

Ashley's face lights up. "Great! I'll go call her right now!" she says excitedly, bounding up the stairs to her room. My phone vibrates insistently in my pocket. Hands shaking, I turn it on and read the message I just received. _You need to help me. I'm already going to kill Ally. It means nothing to me if I have to kill you too. Or what about your precious sister? Ashley, isn't it?_

My breath speeds up and I try not to panic. My skin feels pale and clammy, and I know there's no choice. The Shadow, whoever they are, is watching me. I can't escape them. And it doesn't bother me if I die, but I can't let them hurt Ashley. I have to help the Shadow kill Ally.

_I'll help you._ I press send, hands trembling. I can hear Ashley on the phone upstairs, talking to Ally. I could swear I heard a light but deep laugh coming from outside.

"They don't stop watching, do they?" I say to myself, going into the kitchen. Normally I wouldn't drink tea, but I'm so paranoid that I think I'll take my mom's advice and try chamomile tea, which she always claimed was good for nerves. As the water was heating up, my phone vibrates and I jump. _You're right Lily. I'm always watching. _

**ALLY'S POV**

I was glad to be going to Ashley's that night. I needed a distraction. I hardly was home anymore, which was good. That day, I'd spent almost the entire day at my neighbor, Megan's house. She's eleven, but even though we're almost four years apart in age, she's a great person who I definitely think of as a friend. She loves animals, and has a ton of pets. Earlier, she tried to teach me to ride horses. Belle, her horse, was gorgeous, a glossy black color with white "socks" and a white star on her forehead. But as pretty as she was, it was hard for me to bring myself to even get near an animal taller than me, much less climb on its back and ride it. That didn't bother Megan though. Not at all. She's only 4' 3" and hardly weighs anything. But she has no problem leaping onto a horse, then taking off at full speed (a gallop, according to Megan) and flying over hurdles and other obstacles. But I guess that's Megan for you. She rarely cries, and is probably one of the toughest people I know. But when she found out about the messages I'd been getting, her entire frame shook as though she were about to cry. To her credit, tears never spilled from her eyes though. They never do.

"Megan, it's going to be okay, I promise you. What happened to the happy girl that was here a couple minutes ago?" I asked, trying to sound as light hearted as I could.

"Ally, you can't promise that," Megan said in her British accent. She had lived there all of her life, then moved to Miami about a week ago. Our parents have known each other since high school, so Megan and I talked on the phone or video chat while she was in England, but it's good seeing her face to face every day now. "And as for that happy girl that was here, she ran away when she found out her best friend might die and there's nothing she can do."

"I promise I'll try not to die. Is that better?" I asked.

Megan gave me a slight smile. "Much better. Not great, but it's improvement I suppose."

My cell phone rings. It's Ashley. "Hey Meg, I have to take this call. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

Megan smiles and nods at me.

"Hey Ashley! What's up?" I asked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to spend the night tonight. It'd be a distraction for both of us." She tells me.

"Sure, what time should I come over?"

"Whenever you want to," Ashley told me. "Oh, and I couldn't invite Trish, my sister's freaked out over something, my parents aren't here, and you know how difficult Trish can be…"she trailed off and started laughing, and I did too. Because as much as I love Trish, I knew Ashley's sister, Lily, pretty well. And while she's a great person, she definitely couldn't handle Trish and her general wildness. Especially when she's stressed.

"I'll be there in twenty," I promised, still laughing.

"See you soon!"

When I hung up, I saw Megan watching me closely. "Hey Megan, do you want to help me pack? I'm staying with a friend tonight."

"Sure!" Megan said. Now, letting an eleven year old help pick your clothes for you when you're almost fifteen may sound like a bad idea, but Megan has a really good taste for things like this. And while our styles are completely different, I always end up looking amazing afterwards, because I look like her. Her style reflects her personality, confident and tough. When she's finished helping me pack, I'm dressed in dark denim shorts that stop around my mid-thigh, a dark gray off-the-shoulder crop top over a cream tank top, red converse, and a thin red headband to keep my hair out of my face.

"Megan, you know you're a genius with these kind of things, right?"

She shrugs, then tosses her blonde hair out of her face. "It's just like art. Painting and stuff like that. You just have to match the colors and put the right ones in the right places." Her hazel eyes had a glow in them that she always got when talking about art, or animals, or anything else she loved. I gave her a quick hug, and she hands me the duffel bag she's finished packing.

"Have fun Ally!" she says.

"See you soon Megan!" I call as she walks to her house and I head on my way to Ashley's.

**THE SHADOW'S POV**

So the target is staying at a friend's house tonight, is she? I guess we'll stake out there instead of at her house, where the others were supposed to meet me. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed their numbers. I called Smoke, Midnight, and Dusk to tell them where to meet. The police think they're looking for one person? They're wrong. Smoke observes each victim and relays all the information to Dusk. Dusk then writes the note, and signs it using my name. Shadow. I deliver the note, and begin to weave the plan. And when the week is up, Midnight kills them. It makes us more intimidating. More powerful. More deadly. It makes us the Shadow.

**Sort of a surprise ending there…but the Shadow isn't what you guys thought, now was it? I felt like that would make it more interesting, and harder to solve. How was this chapter? Leave me reviews and tell me! Thanks guys!**

** Also, you should be very proud of me. Despite my current mood, nobody died. I'm not having the greatest day right now.**

**Adios to my amazing readers!**

**-Morgan**


	6. Chapter 5

** I love you guys. And I'm sorry about not updating sooner, I was busy doing a bunch of stuff for school before it starts :/ I hate it already. Anyways, as I was saying, I love you guys. I got so many good reviews and suggestions. So thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**Rachel loves stories: That's coming, don't worry :)**

**Ashley: Haha I get what you mean. And I'm glad you like the sister idea. Also, AusllyxLover says thanks for agreeing to the sister idea!**

**AusllyxLover: I told her ^ and thank you so much!**

**EmilyAnaya19: Yes, they do deserve that. And here's the update :)**

**Actress Anna: Thank you! Your stories are all addicting too :)**

**Disclaimer: Nothing, has changed, I'm still a fanfiction author, not the owner of Austin and Ally.**

**LILY'S POV**

Ally just got here. I'm so unbelievably scared right now. If I get another message, and it tells me to do something to her, then what am I supposed to do? Kill Ally or let Ashley die, along with Ally and I. I know I can't kill a person. There's no way I could. But I won't let Ashley die either. I really don't have a choice. I'll have to play along with whatever the Shadow tells me to do.

**SHADOW'S POV**

"Dusk, send a text to Lily. Tell her to meet us at the stop sign down the road." I ordered.

"On it," Dusk replies.

"Midnight, you can't attack her if she won't cooperate. We need her alive for this plan to work." I say. He's a little bit too good at his job, he sometimes hurts people on our team. We had a delay on when to start the murder string because Dusk upset Midnight and ended up with a broken ankle. Dusk still has a brace from the injury.

"Smoke, what do we know about the target so far?" I inquire.

"Her full name is Allyson Marie Dawson, although she goes by Ally. Her birthday is November 29 **(1) **and she'll turn 16 this year. She's dating Austin Moon, her father owns the music store Sonic Boom, where she works. She's been writing music for a while, and plays several instruments, although she focuses on piano. She-"

"That's all I needed to hear, thank you." I snap coldly at him. He shrank back at my tone. I smirk. It's nice to know that I have some control. After all, I am the leader. I am Shadow.

**LILY'S POV**

My phone vibrates and I jump. Hands trembling, I view the message I've just received. _Meet at the stop sign down the road. We're waiting. _I shove my phone in my back pocket and walk out the door.

When I approach the stop sign, I see four figures already clustered there. One is huge, muscular, and intimidating, another is what I can only describe as petite, a third figure has some sort of brace on his foot, and the fourth appears to be the most normal. The hardest to identify in the group, he had no distinctly different frame or any odd traits. He looked average. The smallest figure steps towards me. "Hello Lily. But for the sake of the Shadow, you'll be known as Ash," a feminine voice says.

"Dusk," the boy with the hurt foot introduces himself as.

"Midnight," the muscular boy growls.

"Smoke," the average boy says.

"And I'm Shadow, the leader," the girl says.

Not knowing what else to do, I nod my head slightly and say, "Ash."

"Good," Shadow says. "You learned quickly enough. Now, onto the target, Allyson. We need you to help plan the murder. All of the others have been easy enough, but Allyson…she has no habits that lead to a good murder time. And she never seems to be alone. That boyfriend of hers, Austin Moon? Something needs to be done about him…any ideas?" She looks at me expectantly.

"Well…" I say, trying to stall for time. "What if…you were able to get Austin to join the group? Then you'd have someone close to Ally to get more information, and it'd be easy for Austin to take Ally on a date somewhere secluded, then have him go to the car to 'get something' and she could be killed in the time he's gone." I can't believe I'm doing this. What's wrong with me? _It's for Ashley,_ I keep telling myself. But I might be able to turn them in…I'll talk to Ashley tonight somehow. And Ally. Ally needs to know this too.

"Aren't you glad we recruited her?" Shadow asks the other three. They nod, although probably out of fear. I have a feeling Shadow, though she may be small, is probably easily capable of causing an "accident" that killed anyone who disagreed with her. "Recruit Austin Moon! Why didn't I think of this?" She laughs coldly. "Dusk," she commands. "Send a message to Austin. And make sure he has no option but to join us." Her smirk makes my blood run cold. _What have I done?_

**AUSTIN'S POV**

I had been texting Ally, so when my phone vibrated I thought nothing of it. Until I read the text.

_ Hello Austin. This is the Shadow. Unless you want to die along with your girlfriend, then meet me outside your house at midnight._ I will not help this awful person kill Ally. Never. And I don't care about my own life. I will never help them. Never. I grab my home phone and dial the police. In a whisper, I explain everything. I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched. When the police tell me what to do, I almost pass out. Until I see their logic. I have to become a double agent. I have to join the Shadow to save Ally. I spend nearly two hours talking to Violet afterwards. She assures me that if I help, the police will catch the Shadow faster. I don't know if that's true. But if it's the way I can save Ally, then it's how I'll save Ally. Or I'll die trying. Knowing the Shadow's tendencies, the second option may be more likely.

** So it wasn't my longest chapter, but…I updated. More Auslly to come, don't worry! Also, I will be helping co-write a story with Actress Anna. If you haven't read any of her stories yet, check them out, they're awesome! I'll be helping come up with ideas for Save Me, which is an awesome story! So check her out? Thanks guys :) Review, tell me how it was!**

**-Morgan**


	7. Chapter 6

** Hi guys! I'm alive! I meant to update earlier, but my summer has been so freaking chaotic…and school starts tomorrow. This sucks! I hate school, it's easy and boring for me. But I promise to try and update weekly. So I hope you like this chapter!**

**Ashley: You'll find out about the Shadow soon enough…and Raura, I don't have anything against Maia, I've just seen Ross and Laura together longer so…what about you, Raura or Raia?**

**AusllyxLover: Thank you so much! And here's the update!**

** And I am giving this a happy ending, to answer several reviews. But I can't make it easy, can I?**

** Disclaimer: I still don't own Austin and Ally. You guys would probably figure out if I owned it…because things like this would happen.**

**AUSTIN'S POV**

"I know you're there Austin," a feminine voice calls out.

"I am Shadow, the leader," she says. "That's Midnight, the killer," she points at a tall, muscular man. "That's Dusk, the message writer," she points to the boy with a brace on his foot. "That's Smoke, our information gatherer," she points to a boy who, from what I can tell is very average looking. "And this is our assistant, Ash. You won't need a code name, you won't be helping with any of our other plots. Just the Dawson murder."

I force myself not to flinch. _You're doing this for Ally. You're doing this for Ally, _I repeated to myself. "Okay, so where do we start?" I hoped the microphone Violet gave me earlier was working. It was clipped to the inside of my sleeve, hopefully recording everything I found out.

I could hardly focus as they went through the outline of their plan. But it involved a very slow, very painful death from Ally. I felt sick. "Sounds great," I manage to say, the words tasting like bile in my mouth. "But where do I come into all of this?"

"Ash, explain your idea," Shadow commanded.

"Well, I thought we could maybe have you take Ally out on a date somewhere secluded, then leave her to run and get something out of the car. When you leave, Midnight can kill her, and nobody would find out. You'd call the police when Midnight was a safe distance away, and report Ally as dead."

The rest of the group nods in approval. "Brilliant," I manage to say. I feel sick that I have to help, or pretend to help these people. _You're doing this for Ally._

**ALLY'S POV**

My phone vibrates with a message from an unknown number. My stomach churns as I open it, and Ashley reads over my shoulder. _Always remember Ally, that it's never safe. Not even with the people you trust the most._ I look at Ashley. Her face mirrors mine, with an expression of pure terror.

"Ally, what if…Lily…acting weird…whatifshe'stheshadow?" Ashley says quickly, her words running together. A knock sounds on the door, and we both throw our hands over our mouths to contain a scream. We creep downstairs, Ashley grabbing two steak knives from the kitchen.

"Just in case," she mouths to me. I nod. As we get closer to the door, Ashley gestures for me to fall back. I do, and she lunges for the knob and flings the door open, brandishing her knife.

A scream splits the air outside. "What the heck?" A confused, unfamiliar voice yells. "Is this what you normally do when someone delivers a pizza to your house?" I fight back giggles.

"Sorry, I was in the middle of a horror movie. Last time someone knocked on the door, it was an axe murderer," Ashley lies.

The guy gives her a suspicious look. "Your total is $10.80."

Ashley grabs a few bills from her mom's purse, which is hanging by the door. "Keep the change, since I was prepared to stab you when I opened the door." The guy shoves the pizza at her and runs down the sidewalk, jumps in his car, and speeds away from Ashley's house. I give her a look and we both crack up laughing.

Something vibrates in the kitchen. Ashley and I walk in, and see Lily's phone. There's a message from Ashley's mom that hasn't been read, but another messaging conversation catches my eye. I click on the conversation with "Unknown Number" and begin reading. Ashley was right.

My best friend's sister is helping my murderer.

**AUSTIN'S POV**

As soon as I get home from meeting the Shadow, I sneak out the back door to meet Violet. When I give her the microphone, she removes a small disk from it and inserts a new one. I must look confused, because she says, "I'm just taking the memory card, where the conversation is saved. Then I can save the conversation to my computer and play it back." I just nod, then watch her climb into the car with her mom and drive away. I hope they can figure it out.

**VIOLET'S POV**

I play the recording as soon as I get back to the station. When Ash starts speaking, I realize I could solve this. "I know who Ash is. Lily, what are you doing?" I mumble to myself. I pick up my phone and dial a familiar number. It's time to have a serious conversation with my best friend.

** I know, it's short, please don't hate me. I've had writer's block, and this was just a good ending point in the story, or at least in my opinion. Wish me luck at school tomorrow guys! I'll update as often as I can. Review please!**

**-Morgan**


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